


A Mother's Love is the Best Love... Especially if Your Mom is Sally Jackson

by mrthology



Series: Omega Percy - But Not Much Really Changes [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: All family fluff, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, NOTHING SEXUAL AT ALL, No Smut, Omega Percy Jackson, Poseidon's just here for a bit, Sally Jackson is a Good Parent, Sally Jackson is the best mom EVER, Sick Percy Jackson, Sickfic, cause we need more of that in this fandom, it's basically all mother/son bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:37:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrthology/pseuds/mrthology
Summary: Percy Jackson presents as an omega when he's 14 years old.  Luckily, he has an amazing mother who figures out what's going on, keeps him safe, and gets him to a doctor.She also makes it her mission to get it through his thick head that him being an omega changes nothing whatsoever.  It's just a little quirk of biology, and he shouldn't let it define him.All fluff and family bonding, Sally Jackson being amazing and Percy being the mama's boy that we all know he is.In honour of Mother's Day for the best fictional Mother there is.
Relationships: Familial relationships only
Series: Omega Percy - But Not Much Really Changes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673026
Comments: 30
Kudos: 269





	A Mother's Love is the Best Love... Especially if Your Mom is Sally Jackson

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place between The Sea of Monsters and The Titans Curse, Percy is 14. 
> 
> I’ve read a lot of a/b/o stories at this point, and I HATE how so many of them are just overtly sexual and honestly kind of creepy and verging into non-con territory. So I’m going the opposite route, and instead of “presenting” as an alpha or omega being super sexual, having it instead be like getting sick and needing lots of love and pampering from family and/or friends. Because the world needs more familial love. Also, I felt like writing mother son bonding fluff. Because Sally Jackson is the best mom in the world, fictional or not. 

“Percy? Are you alright? You’re burning up.” 

Percy grunted, pushing into his mother’s hand. She held one against his forehead, while the other had gone to his shoulder. He felt terrible, and even though he was 14 now, all he wanted to do was curl up in his mother's arms. 

She swore when he didn’t answer, and half carried him to her bedroom. She had the bigger bed, and she’d been putting him in it whenever he was sick for as long as he could remember (as long as Gabe hadn’t been around). She claimed it was easier to take care of him when he was close, and he secretly loved her fussing. He curled up on the top of her covers, breathing deeply. Something in his chest eased when his mother’s calming scent washed over him, and he relaxed slightly. 

“Percy, baby?” She was sitting beside him, stroking sweaty hair off his forehead. It was early, only about 4 in the morning, and he must have woken her up when he’d stumbled while getting a drink in their small kitchen. “What hurts?” 

“I…” he trailed off. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just don’t feel well.” 

His mom smiled at him. “I can tell,” she said. “I’m going to get the thermometer, be right back.” 

“No!” he shot out a hand, managing to grab the sleeve of her pyjamas. He didn’t want her to leave, even for a second. Everything in him was screaming for her to stay close, to stay with him. She sat back down immediately, hugging him tightly and rocking back and forth like he was a small child again. Normally he would push her away in embarrassment, but right now he just cuddled against her, burying his face in her shoulder. He felt himself shaking, and swallowed hard. He really didn’t want to get sick all over her. 

“Oh baby,” she sighed, still rocking him gently. “You’re really burning up. I’ve got to check, okay? It’ll take me ten seconds to get it. I’ll count. Sound good?” 

No, it didn’t sound good, but Percy let go nevertheless, allowing his mom to help him lie back against the worn pillows. She darted off immediately, counting out loud as she’d promised, just as she had when he’d been little and she was getting something for him. She was back before she got to eight. He leaned into her again, wrapping both arms around his stomach. He’d never felt this terrible before. His bones felt like they were moving and stretching, his lower back and abdomen were strangely hot and sore, as though they were being stretched from the inside, and he was terribly nauseated. All he wanted to do was curl up in his mother’s arms until it passed. 

“Open up?” 

He frowned, but did as she asked, letting her slip the old thermometer under his tongue. She held it for him, maneuvering herself so she was half under him. He was almost as tall as she was now, and nearly as heavy, but Percy didn’t care. He felt like a small child again, and just wanted his mom. 

The thermometer beeped, and she swore when she took it out. “You need to take something Percy,” she said, voice firm with an edge of panic. “We’ve got to get this fever down.” 

“Mmm?” 

“40.2 C Percy. That’s way too high.” 

He didn’t answer, trusting his mother to take care of him. She left again, and came back with some water and a couple of pills. “Take these, okay hun?” 

He nodded, sitting up with her help to swallow the medication. He drained the rest of the glass, feeling parched, before handing it back. His mom set it on her bedside table, and made him lie down again. She sat next to him, stroking his hair in a comforting manner. 

“Can you tell me what else is wrong?” She asked softly after about ten minutes. The drugs hadn’t kicked in yet, but somehow just being around his mom made him feel better. 

He sighed. “Hot,” he finally said. “And everything hurts.” 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, letting her lips linger. She’d told him once it was a surefire way to check if he had a fever. He just thought she wanted an excuse to kiss him. Not that he was complaining right now. He was well aware that he had the best mom in the world. 

“How so?” She asked, pushing gently. “Is it a sharp pain in your stomach?” 

He shook his head, unsure of how to describe it. “My back and stomach hurt a lot,” he said finally, moving a hand down to his lower abdomen. His mom copied him, pressing gently. 

“Is it better or worse when I press down?” 

He thought for a moment. “The same,” he answered. 

“And when I let go?” 

“Still the same.” 

His mom smiled slightly. “Well, I don’t think it’s appendicitis then.” 

Percy blinked. “Oh, that's good.” 

His mom poked him in the nose. “The meds should have kicked in,” she said. “Are you feeling any better.” She looked like she doubted it, taking in his body language. 

“Maybe?” Percy said, feeling unsure himself. He still felt completely terrible, but having his mom around was helping. 

“I’m just going to take your temperature again, okay?” She said, putting the thermometer under his tongue. She took it out after a moment and sighed. “40 on the dot,” she said softly. “It’s barely gone down.” She adjusted slightly, and Percy whined when he was moved. It hurt. 

She rested her cheek against the top of his head. Percy hated worrying her so much, but he had no idea what was wrong. 

“Do you think you could have a bath?” She asked. “Not a hot one, but you’re fever’s too high.” 

He made a face. The last thing he wanted to do was move, even if it was to get into a bath. All he wanted to do was stay cuddled in his mother's arms. 

She frowned, looking as though something had occurred to her. “I’m getting my computer,” she said, “be right back.” 

He whined again despite himself, not wanting her to leave. She kissed his forehead again and ran from the room, coming back less than a minute later with her laptop. She’d traded in her old desktop for it with the money from selling Gabe’s statue, and Percy still got a jolt of vindictive pleasure whenever he saw her using it. This time was no different, despite how awful he felt. 

She settled back into the bed and he immediately curled against her, half in her lap. Part of him was embarrassed at his own behaviour - he was 14 now, far too old to be sitting in his mom’s lap - but the larger part didn’t care. He felt terrible, and being with her made it better. It was as simple as that.

She opened the computer and typed with one hand, still using the other to stroke Percy’s hair. He dozed, lulled into a state of semi relaxation by the repetitive motion despite how horrible he felt. His mom was good at that, at making him feel better no matter what. 

Eventually he fell into a restless sleep, and for one didn’t dream. 

** _###_ **

Sally Jackson swallowed hard, pushing down her emotions. Percy was still asleep against her, overheated and ill, and she didn’t want to stress him out more than she had to. The laptop was on the bed beside her, with several tabs open, all indicating the same thing. 

Percy, her baby boy, was an omega. 

She couldn’t be  _ completely _ sure, not without a doctor telling her, but she knew. Just as she’d known that Poseidon was the Lord of the Sea the moment they had met. Her instincts were good. 

All the symptoms fit perfectly with a presenting omega. Every single one. She’d made a list, knowing in her gut her suspicion was right, but needing to be sure. Also, making lists helped her stay calm, which was difficult to do with Percy running such a high fever beside her. 

  * High fever that medication didn’t have much of an affect on
  * General pain the the lower stomach and back
  * General feeling of malaise
  * Clinging to parental or family figures 
  * Nausea and sometimes vomiting 
  * Unwillingness to be left alone
  * General fussiness
  * Inability to concentrate 
  * Exhaustion

There were other symptoms too, but she’d seen enough. There was no other explanation in her mind. Percy was presenting as an omega. 

She was just relieved beyond belief that it happened at home while he was with her. The school would send him home when they realised he had a fever, but if he was at camp or, gods forbid, on a quest? That would have been disastrous. 

She took a deep breath, knowing she needed a second opinion. “Poseidon,” she said, careful not to wake Percy. “You said you would come if I called, if our son needed help. Well, I’m calling you now.” 

She felt a bit stupid, speaking into the bright bedroom. The sun had long since risen, and she’d draped the edge of her sheet over Percy’s eyes, wanting him to sleep as much as possible. 

“Sally?” 

She let out a breath in sheer relief, before smiling at her old flame. “I wasn’t sure if you’d hear me,” she admitted. 

Poseidon tilted his head to the side. He looked so much like Percy it made her heart ache. “I told you I would come if you called,” he pointed out, looking down at their son in concern. His eyes widened in apparent realisation. “He’s…” 

Sally nodded, patting the bed next to her. Poseidon sat down without looking at her, gently putting a hand on Percy’s shoulder. The boy didn’t wake, but murmured softly in his sleep, a wince on his tanned face. 

“I haven’t had an omega child in centuries,” he said softly. 

“So I’m right,” Sally said, already knowing the answer. “He’s an omega?” 

The Lord of the Sea nodded, still looking down at their son. “He is indeed,” Poseidon replied. He took a deep breath, a somewhat sad look on his handsome face. “He has a strong scent,” he continued, moving his broad hand from Percy’s shoulder to his cheek, flushed from fever. Percy looked even younger in sleep, and Sally’s heart ached for her son. 

“What does this mean for him?” She asked. She didn’t know if she could bear him being in more danger then he was in already. 

Poseidon was silent for a long moment, before forcing his gaze away from Percy and meeting her eyes. “In this case, my being his father will actually help him,” he said wryly. “The other gods, the ones who portray themselves as alphas, will not touch him for fear of offending me.” 

“What about monsters,” Sally asked, feeling a knot in her chest ease at his words. She knew from the old stories and Poseidon’s own tales how much the gods liked young, pretty, omegas, especially considering how rare they were. 

Poseidon managed a small smile. “Most monsters don’t care about gender at all,” he said. “And he will be able to handle the ones that do.” 

Sally didn’t answer. She didn’t want to think about her baby fighting monsters, especially not ones who wanted him because he happened to be an omega. 

“What happened to them?” She asked instead. “Your last omega child?” 

Poseidon smiled gently, that smile she’d fallen for all those years ago. “She got married and lived happily ever after,” he said. Sally chose to believe him. All she wanted for Percy was for him to be happy. 

They sat in silence for a long time, just watching their son together. He’d relaxed more in the presence of both of his parents, as Sally had suspected he would. She held Percy tightly against her chest, while Poseidon stroked his hair. “Is there anything you can do to help him?” she finally asked. 

The god shook his head. “I cannot change biology,” he said. “Nor would I want to. This will make his life harder, but it’s who he is.” He cupped Percy’s cheek, flushed with fever, and Sally knew he was about to leave. She didn’t regret her time with Poseidon, not for a second, as it had given her Percy, the best part of her life. But she hated that her son couldn’t know his own father. 

He leaned over and whispered something Sally couldn’t understand in Percy’s ear before rising, giving his son one last fond look. “Thank you,” he said to her. 

She gave him a sad smile. “There’s nothing to thank me for,” she said honestly. 

“I know,” he responded. “But nevertheless. He’s grown to be an amazing boy all thanks to you.” 

She took the compliment for what it was and closed her eyes as Poseidon vanished. Percy stirred fitfully in her arms, and she tightened her grip. It was just the two of them again, as it had been for many years. 

“Mama?” 

She smiled down at Percy, casting all thoughts of Poseidon from her mind. Hearing him call her mama instead of mom made her want to cry - he hadn’t called her that since he was small. “Yeah? How are you feeling?” 

She snuggled against her. “Could we watch something on your laptop?” 

Sally grinned, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead again, just because she could. He was a mama’s boy at heart, she knew that, but was also a 14 year old boy. He didn’t often allow her to shower him in affection as he had when he’d been a small child. Now that she knew the reason for his fever (and more importantly, that it would pass soon enough) she would take advantage of his clingy mood. He was the best thing in her life, and she treasured each and every moment she had with him. 

“Of course,” she said, moving to they were both lying down and pulling him against her. He went willingly, leaning against her shoulder with a sigh. “Any requests? And don’t say Jurassic Park. I have to draw the line somewhere, and we’ve seen it way too many times.” 

He rolled his eyes, as she’d known he would, and tightened his grin on his stomach. She rubbed his back gently, trying her hardest to bring him some relief. 

“Monty Python?” 

She grinned, and leaned over to kiss his cheek again. “That I can do.”

** _###_ **

Percy frowned, looking down at his hands. “What… what does this mean?” He asked, his throat dry. 

The doctor looked up from his notes, a smile on his face. “Well, you have a few options,” he said, giving all his attention to Percy. Percy reached over and grabbed his mom's hand. There was no way he’d take all this in. His mom, true to form, had a small notebook and was jotting things down. 

“Like?” She said, looking curious. He knew she’d already researched this and probably knew exactly what the doctor was going to say. He was so incredibly grateful for his amazing mom. 

“At your age the most common thing to do is put you on suppressants,” he said. “They’ll stop you from going into heat nearly completely. You’ll have a bit of a fever, and likely be sore, but that’s it.” He leaned back in his chair, smiling gently. “They do take some adjusting though, so we’d start you on a low dose and go from there. You can also go without them. You’d into heat about every six months - though for the first couple of years it might not be regular - and would need to make sure you stayed home from school for about a week. It would last about three days, plus a day for preheat and one day for recovery.” 

Percy felt himself flush bright red. He knew, kind of, what going into heat would entail, and really didn’t want to think about it. 

“I think I’d rather take the medication,” he mumbled, giving his mom a small smile when she squeezed his hand in silent support. 

“I thought you might,” the doctor said, reaching for a pad of paper. “Now, we’ll likely have to adjust the dosage,” he said. “No two omegas are the same after all. Stand up here for me? I need your weight.” 

Percy stood miserably, walking over to the scales. 

The doctor fiddled a bit, before frowning. “I’d like you to gain some weight, you hear son? You’re a bit underweight for your height.” 

Percy nodded. It wasn’t his fault he had a fast metabolism. He ate plenty, but also tended to run for his life frequently. He supposed fighting monsters burned a lot of calories. 

His mother looked up from her notes. “Will he need more calories because he’s an omega?” she asked. 

The doctor smiled. “Close to heat, yes. Even when he’s taking the medication. On the medication about 200 extra calories for the week before and during heat. Off medication more like 400, as he won’t eat much in heat itself and will be burning a lot of energy.” 

His mom jotted that down. Percy was just happy the doctor's attention was on her instead of him now. He’d been perfectly nice, and clearly didn’t care that he was an omega, but Percy still felt uncomfortable. He also knew his mom had called his school, to let them know as well. It wouldn’t affect anything, but he would potentially need some extra time off even with the suppressants. 

“Anything else we should be aware of?” she asked, giving Percy a quick smile before focusing on the doctor again. 

“We’ll likely need to adjust the medication,” he said. “The lowest dose doesn’t work for many omegas, but we can’t start you higher just in case you react to it.”

“What would reacting to it mean?” Percy asked, sitting back down beside his mom. She reached for his hand again, holding it tightly. She knew how uncomfortable he was, and was trying her hardest to make this as easy as possible for him. He really did have the best mom in the word. She deserved the world. 

“They will stop you from going into heat,” the doctor assured him, much to Percy’s relief, “but it could make it last longer - up to a week - cause a fever, joint pain, back pain, a general feeling of malaise… basically how you felt when presenting.” 

Percy winced. That hadn’t been fun. And the last thing he wanted was to be on a quest feeling like that. But at least he wouldn’t have to deal with a heat. That just sounded like torture. 

“If that does happen,” the doctor said, looking at Percy kindly. “Come back right after your heat’s done as we can adjust things.” 

“Will do,” his mom said. “Shall we just pick those up at the pharmacy?” 

The doctor nodded. “Planned parenthood pays for suppressants for any omega that’s in school,” he explained. “Though you will be taking the generic version.” 

“Is there any downside to the generic version?” his mother asked immediately, a concerned frown on her face. 

He shook his head. “Not at all,” he assured them. “They’re even made in the same factory. Some people just prefer name brands to generic.” 

Percy rolled his eyes. Those people sounded like idiots. 

“Thank you Doctor Watada,” his mom said, standing up with a smile. 

“Thank you,” Percy echoed, still not letting go of her hand. She squeezed his gently. 

Dr. Watada stood as well. “My pleasure,” he said. He handed Percy a sheet of paper. “Here’s your prescription,” he said. “And remember, come back if you have any concerns or if there are any side effects. We’re here to help!” 

Percy nodded. The doctor had been extremely kind, but he really wanted to get out of here. “Thanks,” he said, managing a small smile. 

His mom smiled at the doctor, before pulling him away and taking the prescription from him, snapping a photo of it with her phone. He knew she would be researching it tonight, and would doubtlessly know everything there was to know about potential side effects by the evening. Because she was just that amazing. 

She took care of picking up the medication while he waited on a bench, still feeling sore and anxious. All he wanted to do was curl back up in his mom’s bed and watch more movies with her. She’d let him have the week off of school, much to his relief, and he wanted to spend it curled up in a ball. It hadn’t really hit him yet, his new reality. How much things would potentially change. Would monsters care that he was an omega? What about the titans? Or even other campers? He didn’t know any other omegas, and only knew one alpha. 

And considering that alpha was Clarisse of all people, he wished he didn’t know any alphas. She’d never let him live this down. 

And… how would Annabeth react? 

“Hey, ready to go?” 

He smiled up at his mom. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” 

She linked her arm with his, kissing his cheek gently. “I’m proud of you, you know that right?” 

“For what?” He asked, confused. 

“For handling this so well,” she answered immediately, guiding him through the busy New York streets. 

He made a face. He didn’t think he was handling it well. She was handling everything for him, really. All he was doing was listening. 

“Do you want to go straight home, or get something to eat first?” 

He considered, looking around. It was later in the afternoon, so most of the lunch spots would just have business people rather than crowds of students. “Food sounds good,” he grinned. “Can we get burgers?” 

She rolled her eyes. “We can get burgers,” she allowed. She loved them as well, but did occasionally get tired of Percy only wanting to eat burgers when they went out. 

“Thanks mom,” he said honestly, leaning up to kiss her cheek. She grinned at him and ruffled his hair, pulling him along to one of their favourite burger joints, a small mom and pop chain that had been owned by the same family for years. It was about half full, with several people in suits eating lunch on their own, while a few older men sat at a table and talked in loud voices. 

They sat in a booth near the back, and Percy sat down with a sigh. He was really sore, and still completely exhausted. His mom slid into the seat across from him, scanning the menu. He didn’t bother, knowing he was just going to get the same thing he always did. 

He let his mind wander as his mother ordered for the both of them, yawning widely. Just a week into his newest school and he was already missing a bunch of days. He couldn’t bring himself to care though. This one was bound to turn out like all the others. At this point he expected it. If he got kicked out he could always just go to camp like Annabeth had for years, learn that way. He was sure Chiron wouldn’t mind. 

“Percy?”

“Oh,” he said, realising with a start his mom had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds. “Sorry. Yeah?” 

She put both hands on the red tabletop, a determined smile on her face. “I want to talk to you about something important, okay?” 

“Yeah, for sure,” he said., reaching across the table and grabbing her hands in both of his without a lick of embarrassment. The waitress serving them was an older woman who’d worked here for as long as Percy could remember. She’d seen him as a toddler. Nothing could embarrass him around her anymore. She still liked to pinch his cheeks. 

His mom held his hands tightly and met his eyes, an earnest expression on her face. “I need you to know, and to take this to heart, you hear me? You being in an omega changes absolutely nothing. And anyone who says it does isn’t worth your time. You’re still Percy - still my son, still Poseidon’s son. You’re still the same person who’s gone on quests for literal gods, the same boy who helps me make cookies and eats my seven layer dip alarmingly fast. Nothing has changed.” She said firmly. She held his hands tighter, as though she could impart her views with her grip. “There aren’t many alphas around, and the ones who are tend to be good people. And I trust you can defend yourself against one who isn’t so kind.” She paused, smiling playfully at the look Percy knew was on his face. “Also, I’m pretty sure you could call your dad down if some pushy human alpha tried something.” 

Percy laughed, startled. His dad wouldn't interfere with monsters of quests, but maybe if a pushy alpha bugged him… 

“I’m being serious!” His mom said, laughing as well. “He’d totally smite someone! But that’s beside the point. What I need you to know Percy, is that this changes nothing. Okay?” 

He bit his lip. It didn’t feel like that. He felt like he had some neon sign over his head saying “OMEGA” in bright flashing letters. “I guess,” he mumbled. 

His mom hit the top of his hand lightly. “No, not ‘I guess’. It changes nothing. None of your friends will care, your teachers don’t care, and I can promise you that I don’t care. All I care about is that you’re safe, healthy, and happy, you hear me?”

Percy nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. He’d doubted a lot over the years. But he’d never, not once, doubted that his mother loved him beyond belief. She was the best person in the whole wide world, and he was beyond lucky to be her son. “I hear you,” he answered hoarsely. Her words hadn’t truly sunk in, not yet, and he knew she’d spend the rest of the week drilling it into him. She’d probably stay up long after he’d gone to bed, looking up omegas throughout history who hadn’t let their secondary gender define them. Because she was amazing like that. 

She grinned, leaning back against the booth. “Good!” She said happily. “Now, I know I gave you the week off school, but I did have your teachers send me some work.” She took out her phone, a mischievous grin on his face. 

Percy groaned theatrically. He’d seen the same look on his own face too many times to count. There was no getting out of this. He was still going to try though. He pouted at his mom, making his eyes as wide as possible. 

She just laughed. “No can do Percy,” she scolded. “Now come on. What’s the capital of Croatia?” 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> It's Mother's Day in the UK today, and since I'm in self quarantine (I know waayyyy too many people that have travelled) I figured I'd expand on my little Percy Jackson as an omega AU with a piece about Sally Jackson! 
> 
> I'm also SO SICK of A/B/O being all smut (though some's okay, I love a bit) and wanted to write something involved the trope but without anything sexual at all. 
> 
> Please please please let me know what you think, if you have any ideas for other fics in this series, etc... I LOVE reading what you think! It literally makes me day when I get a comment. :)


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